Parents Friend Child's Teacher on Facebook

Facebook Friend Your Child's Teacher: Like or Dislike?

There's a new type of parent/teacher conference! Education has moved to the Internet with everything from supply lists to grades to school assignments being posted online. Some really involved mothers befriend their kiddo's teacher via Facebook. Educators often have their professional life while keeping classroom hours and a social break after the final bell rings. Do you think parents overstep their bounds by reaching out this way?

What I think is funny here is that my son's (preschool) teachers friended me on Facebook. I think it kind of over steps some boundaries to friend people you work with, let alone ppl that work w/ your children. Now I will say, I learned all of this the hard way, as I have work, school, my son's school friends on my facebook, lol. I think in their case they wanted to know what I did, who I am etc. I'm in my mid-20s, divorced, sole custody of my son, etc. And I'm not much of a talker w/ certain ppl. I'm goofy and funny and love telling jokes but when I'm picking my son up from school there's no time for all that it's a "Hey, how was he? ... Great, have a great night!" so I think it was curiosity that got them.

I think what Anon #6 said about teachers having a page dedicated to give info to parents is the best idea. I wouldn't want to be friends with people I don't know on my Facebook, and I'm not even friends with my colleagues on it even though I get along very well with them. They are not my friends, they don't need to know everything about me. Worst than that, I have a friend who's 27 like me and she's a teacher in high school. She made friends with her students on Facebook and I think it's a big no no. They now know everything about her pregnancy, her family, her work plans (which school she's hoping to get a job at next year, etc.). It opens the door for a lot of problems in my opinion.

4 years

Well they can't friend them without the teacher's approval. Refuse the friend request and make sure your privacy settings are that they can't see photos, wall posts, etc. Or yeah, use a different name (although I think it's sad that someone wouldn't be able to put their own name on their profile and still be allowed their own space).
I know a lot of teachers who do what used to be a fan page and is now a "like" page, just for situations like this. That way they can be in touch with parents and/or students. It allows for sharing information like what homework was, upcoming events, and communication without either party giving access to their actual profile.

A friend of mine just finished Teacher's College and one of the recommendations made to new teachers is to use a non-searchable version of their name (ie use maiden name and not married name) for social networks.

i agree with the other posters. i have many teacher friends, and they hate it when parents friend them! a lot of them change their privacy settings just so parents can't search for them, but that sucks too because their actual friends can't find them and friend them either.

4 years

Geesh! Let the teachers have a social life! Would you really want to know that your child's kindergarten teacher had a few too many cocktails Friday night? Everyone is entitled to some privacy.